Just returned from Hotel Orqueida our summary is AVERAGE and EXPENSIVE.This is not a 4**** Hotel boardering a 3***.Hotel staff freindly and very helpful.

Air/con is a must,and wish they would make NO smoking areas especially when you have asthmatic childern we found it ideal for chuffers.All rooms from level 4 upwards have sea views.

Sunloungers plentiful but very uncomfortable and as usual have to be up for 7am to get a decent one,disappointing when you want a lie in.A man collects towels off unattended sunbeds but im sure some must sleep on them all night.

Bar prices a rip off can't afford to get drunk thank god for supermarkets (if only the staff smiled).

Having just returned from our stay at The Orquidea we would make the following comments based upon our experience and observations.

The public and private areas of the hotel were spotless and well maintained no broken tiles etc, plenty of hot water and any faults reported were dealt with immediately.

One of the lifts kept on breaking down but I was informed that this was due to misuse when children dropped sweets between the doors so that they would not close.

The quality of the food in relation to mass catering was good, plenty of variety and quantity in pleasant surroundings as long as you avoided childrens hour when mayhem ensued as parental control was lacking. The Maitre de tried to enforce dress standard but many of the diners preffered to ignore the dress code. The waiting staff were professional courteous and discreet in ensuing that the tables were well laid out and cleared upon demand.

The location of the hotel was the best positioned within the locality with a rocky \pebble beach front leading to the sea many of the other hotels were even more disadvantaged and had no beach front at all.

There is a distinct lack of quality beach area across the whole island other than at Maspolomas Dunes.

Within the confines of the hotel the enviroment was very pleasant, palm tree walks wide open spaces and three salt water pools which in the deepest part were only 5ft 6ins deep making it safe for children.

The hotel enforced the no towel rule before 9am giving everybody a fair chance to acquire a sunbed.

They have a bird house within the grounds with captive birds in it which served no purpose and whilst it may be to late to free these birds should be phased out.

The hotel staff could not have been more professional and courteous towards the paying customer offering assistance and advise upon demand.

The entertainment from Big Daddy, Special K and Jammal, was excellent they were three stars, vibrant, witty and human. How they managed to control the kids was beyond me.

The Reps show was the best I have ever seen from Reps in all my holidays. How some of the larger reps performed the dance routine defied the laws of gravity.

The childrens Reps came across more like the authoritarian teacher rather than accepting that the children were on holiday and were the paying customer who wanted entertaining rather than teaching.
They may have constraints upon them due to the different ages \insurance requirements.

We went on the Aqua Park excursion which did not give value for money as there was such a time constraint in order to fit the package in. More time could have been spent at the park rather than the 11am -3.30pm limit when the park is open from 10am -6pm than going for a meal at 4.30pm then back to the hotel for tea at 6.30pm.

We also went to Sioux City which was good entertainment but to have the hotel meal between 6.30pm -7.30pm then get to Sioux City for 8.15pm then have to que up for a barbecue which left a lot to be desired from 8.30pm or go without as serving stopped at 9pm or earlier if the food ran out.

There was limited time to actually wander around the set.
Garbos was similar to the above straight from tea at the hotel to Garbos to sit down for another meal left one inflated and flatulated .

The show itself was wonderful performed by a vibrant and enthusiastic talented performers even Simon Cowgirl could not have found fault. How the performers could switch from their roles as waiters \ress into entertainers at the sound of a song required adaptability.

This was our first family supersaver holiday and the experience of being in a mono-culture English environment which was dominated by extended family groups who set up power units which took over the pool area \entertainment area and kids u\10 without parental control running amock with total disregard to other guests enjoyment left much to be desired and consideration as to whether we embark upon this type of holiday again will have to be seriously considered.

I would recomend this hotel as a base for touring the island. However be aware that from our experience it is better to book a car at the resort rather than through Thomsons agents as the quality of the vehicle is just as good and can be inspected, cheaper and is on site rather than travelling 15 miles into busy Playa del Ingles upon which you have to contend with urban traffic just when you need time to adjust to their driving style \conditions.

If you are considering travelling up to the mountains the roads are horrendous with the bends which makes the journey twice as long and frustrating and not fuel efficient. The guide books inflate the beauty and the majesty of the sights and upon reflection was the effort worthwhile.

We have not long arrived back from the Orquidea and will definately be booking asap for next year. We all have had an excellent holiday and wish we were still there.

The hotel was very clean. The rooms are of a good size and are clean also. We had a family room that had a large L shaped balcony so we could see the views of the sea aswell as the hills. The hotels grounds are very clean and the pathways are bordered by palm trees and flowers.

The food was good. With mass catering it can get difficult to please all but the hotel coped. It does however get very busy in the restaurant. Either get there at 6.30pm when it opens or leave it til about 7.15 pm when the end of the 1st sitting is nearing.

The hotel is located in a quiet and small resort which has not been commercialised. There are a few shops around the hotel( cheaper than the shop in the hotel!) and there is a small shopping precinct nearby. Check out the electrical items(fella's) and clothing(ladies). There is a small beach next to the hotel but i would give it a miss.

The hotel staff were very polite and helpful. The reception staff all spoke english very well and dealt with queries promptly.

The entertainment was excellent. Big Daddy and his team worked very hard throughout the day and evening and deserve all the praise they get and a huge pay rise!!!! Day activities are varied. Most of them for children and adults but all great fun. Aqua splash at 11.30 in the pool is a must and when Big Daddy does it, it's hilarious.
Check out his outfits.

The evening entertainment starts at 8.30 with the kids disco which my children really enjoyed. Then the prize presentation in which the adults and kids get prizes and medals for winning the days acivities. Next is the main act of the night. We had The supremes, a parrot show, a hynotist, a quiz nite that involved everyone and best of all, the reps show. This was brilliant. They all worked so hard to get routines spot on. Jammer has great voice and had the ladies swooning. Big Daddy had them going aswell with his version of My Way. Special K can dance the socks off everyone and the others can strutt their stuff too. All in all, the entertainment team were very professional and gave us all a jolly good time.

As I said ealier in this review, we will be booking for next year but earlier in the season. It does get very hot in August and very busy. If you dont mind a lot of kids around you in the pool enjoying themselves then this is the place for you.

I have just got back from the Orquidea.It is our third year at the hotel and it gets better and better.

Let's start with the reps, big daddy who has been here every year we came and has been so entertaining when he dresses up for aqua splash like the crazy frog and a viking. Special k she is wicked and so fun,and her partner in crime jammer he so hilarious doing the activities.

During the day you would have morning exercise in the pool,volleyball/rounders/cricket depending on which day
they at two O'Clock you have a water activities like water polo or water basketball

Then its the t-shirt competition where you can the t-shirt for the adults and a medal for the kids. The day activities were really good. Then you had a mini disco for the kids that included dances, games, competitions and jokes.

It was then prize presentation I won 30 medals for the activities and won

We've just got back from the Orquidea, and what a fantastic time we've had!

The hotel is spotless clean, the maid/waiters/ and all other staff were superb.

The food was generally very good.

The rooms large and more than adequate for 4 (although they DO need air con!).

The bar prices were a little high in the entertainment bar though (Bacardi/coke = 5 euros)... That brings me on to the entertainment...

Bid daddy, Special k, Jammer and the rest of the reps were nothing short of FANTASTIC!, talk about working their socks off!! I'll never be able to hear "Samba, Amarillo, Cha Cha slide, and the Finger song" again without doing the dance that goes with them!

If your thinking of booking this hotel, stop thinking and just DO IT!! You won't regret it! It's a shame the top mark you can give is 5 cos the reps deserve at least a 10 on a scale of 1-5!

P.s. Beware of the local taxis though, they're cheap... But they all drive like Michael Schumacher....100mph or stop!

Just returned from what we can only describe as the the most eventful holiday ever!!! We had disaster after disaster yet we can honestly say this was one of the best holidays we have ever had.

This hotel is located in a quiet village type area, there are a few shops, restaurants and bars, and also a couple of supermarkets although the staff in the supermarket nearest the hotel were the most ignorant we have ever had the misfortune to meet. Bahia Feliz is lovely if you are wanting a quiet, non-rowdy, non-Blackpool type of holiday.

The hotel itself was lovely, the only down sides were the lack of air/con (which we are assured will be rectified early 2006) and the balcony furniture - it was tired, very tired!!! The rooms were well decorated, spotlessly clean and the maid service was superb.

The food within the hotel was again really lovely, the waiters and Maitre De have a brilliant system which works very well even when the they are incredibly busy. Food-wise there was something for everyone, the only minor issue was the fact that the kids buffet always had chips on offer, and parents out there know that if your child sees chips, they want chips!!

What can we say about the entertainment........ Brilliant, stunning, superb, hilarious, consistently depriving us of an early night!! Big Daddy, Special K and Jammer need their wages trebling - these people do not stop. They start with Aqua Aerobics at 11.30am and keep going and going until 11.30pm Their energy is amazing, they are funny, always happy to see you and keep you happy. they are mobbed by the kids daily, thrown in the pool on a regular basis and are always smiling. These people made our holiday, we cannot praise them enough. Well done

Finally, the kidzone reps were in our opinion, wonderful. Our daughter begged us daily to go to club and always came back to us not only safe and sound, but happy and excited about her morning/evening(s) activities.

We will definately return to this fab hotel (air con permitting)in a couple of years and were it not for the fact that we have booked a holiday to Mexico for next year, we would be back again next August.

Wonderful

Just returned from a 2 weeks stay at the Hotel Orquidea. A really nice hotel, however it was so busy and there were screaming children coming out of the woodwork. I found that the staff were pleasant and able to deal with any queries etc, however I did get the feeling that because there were so many guests they found it hard to cope especially at meal times. A bit miffed having to pay for a fridge which was just the size of an ice box and had a very bad smell coming from it.

The entertainment at night for kids and adults was fabulous. Special K, Big Daddy & Jammer - miss you all loads and our Sunday nights will never be the same again. The children's reps were fab also - Leanne, Jibber Jabber, Charlene to name only a few. Many thanks because we knew our daughter was in great hands at the Kids Club.

Would revisit the hotel but definitely would not travel at high season again to it because it is really really busy.

Just returned from hotel. Lets start with positve.

Entertaiment team of Big Daddy,Special K & Jammer,do not believe the hype.The hype doesnt come close. This is quality entertainment we watched shows every night. Big Daddies morning auqa splash is such a laugh. The man is a legend ,Special k stunning voice and great mover,Jammer seems to be gettin better as holiday goes on ,great singer and guitar player. Professional shows outstanding my personal favourite was the Supremes, brilliant.

Hotel food excellent meat and fish varieties were excellent. Reception staff,very helpful. Cleaning lady brilliant. All the Thomson crew there are amazing reps. Guest pool games are awesome and the reps show wow they are like professionals they are that good.
Big shoutout to Boney Ben my wife thought he was hysterical.Parrots fling round palm trees make it extra cool.

Now the negative. Beach is shocking full of rocks ,cannot walk into water entrance to sea is full of rocks,really does hurt the feet,cannot let kids go in sea as waves are crazy powerful. Beach is dirty looking, full of stones , sunbeds are filthy. If you are lookin for beach holiday then no way this is awful.

Fed up with queing for everything queue for breakfast queue for dinner ,queue for drinks at bar. Restaurant is not big enough squashed together too much. Entertainment area too small most nights people standing,bar area only about 6 foot wide with 2 people serving and one on so not big enough.

Sunbeds be up at 8 and sit with beds till nine or you struggle to get one. You pay for air conditioning ,you pay for fridge. You pay for tv, you dont even have water free with evening meal. Bar prices are shocking. The hotel rips you off big time.

I just got back from the hotel Orquidea and I had an excellent stay!

The hotel was very clean apart from the odd leaf in the pool.

The food was very very nice. They had lots of vegetarian food and they had lots of meat. There is an adult's buffet and a kid's buffet.

The hotel was in a very quiet village about 10 minutes from playa del ingles. It has a little shopping centre that mainly sells gifts.

The hotel staff were excellent. Whenever you needed some help they would always make sure something happens about it!

The entertainment deserves 110 out of 100, it was really good to watch the shows at night because it was different every night! 1 night they had a hypnotist which was great. there is also a prize presentation each night at 9:15 for medals to be handed out to the people who had won some of the games that day. Again each night there is something called samba time where Special K, Big Daddy and Jammer get all of the boys, girls, men and women up onto the dance floor to bust some moves.

The daytime entertainment is the best! 1st of all at 11:30 they do aqua splash then after that it is either volleyball, rounders or quick cricket. Then it is a pool activity then after that you can choose to either play 5-a-side football with Jammer or play a quieter game with Special K.

I thought the hotel was the best I

Overall the Orquidea is a perfect place for a family holiday, the reception staff are extremely helpful, the room was fantastic (book a suite for extra